Amaravati: Lokesh thanks Minister for deferment of exams

Amaravati: TDP national general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh on Sunday thanked minister for education Audimulapu Suresh for saving lakhs of students and their parents from coronavirus threat by postponing the examinations for the first and second year Intermediate students in the state.

Lokesh termed it as a bold decision on the part of the minister not to blindly follow the adamant stand of the Chief Minister with regard to the exams. It was indeed a victory for the virtual agitation and legal struggle waged by the students against the government's initial decision to hold the exams compulsorily.

Addressing a press conference at party state office in Mangalagiri, the TDP MLC said that a great threat to over 15 lakh students was averted with Sunday's postponement of exams.

Had the government taken the decision in the first week of April itself, over 10,000 students would have been protected from Covid infections. The practical exams conducted during the initial stages of Covid spread had led to infections among some students.

When all other States took early decisions to postpone or cancel the examinations, the YSRCP government woke up from its slumber only after so much protest from the students and the general public.

Lokesh appealed to the government to take a conscious decision on the Class X exams which were scheduled to begin in a month's time. Any decision on going ahead with the exams should be taken only after a close review of the prevailing coronavirus situation at that time. Studies from IIT Kanpur said that the epidemic would peak during May 6 to 10.

Already, the second wave highest single day infections rose to 20,000 in the state. Even for these patients, the government was not able to provide hospital beds, oxygen supply and also ambulances. Only in a single village in Mangalagiri Assembly constituency, over 36 villagers got infected. This indicated the intensity of the outbreak.

On the Tirupati byelection result, Lokesh said that it was a defeat for democracy and a victory for the YSRCP leaders. Also, the ruling party's majority was 'less than half' of over 6 lakh votes that the ruling party leaders projected in this election from the beginning. The YSRCP could get even this victory by misusing power and official machinery at every level. All ministers and over 120 MLAs were in the field to influence the voters.

The TDP leader said that busloads of bogus voters were brought from other segments and other states. The media itself showed videos as proof of how bogus voters themselves admitted to their illegal activities.

In addition to this, the police threatened the TDP agents, the officials worked for the YSRCP candidate and the volunteers committed all sorts of violations in favour of the YSRCP.